David maxwell



(No Model.)

' D. MAXWELL;

HARVE$TING MACHINE. No. 256,151. Patented Ap r. 11,1882.

M I Inventor.

' UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFIcE. I

DAVID MAXWELL, OF PARIS, ONTARIO, CANADA.

HARVESTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,151, dated April11, 1882.

Application filed August 29, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID MAXWELL, of the town of Paris, in the countyof Brant, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Harvestin g-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of the invention is to brace the finger-beam on its top sideat, the point where the rake-standard is carried; and it consistsessentially of a bar or red attached at one end to the fingerbeam,near'the post or inner end of the beam, and at its other endto a bracketsituated upon and attached to the finger-beam at a point near therake-standard, the said rod being provided with suitable adjustingmechanism arranged to exert through the rod a pushing strain upon thetwo points connecting it to the finger-beam, substantially ashereinafter explained.

The drawings represent a sectional elevation of a portion of thefinger-beam, showing the rake-standard and the post for connecting thebeam to the main frame of the machine.

Figure 1 shows the bracing-rod connected at one end to the finger-beamby a bolt passing therethrough, from whence the brace extendsobliquelyin an upward direction,through a passage-way made in therake-standard, to a bracket bolted on the fingerbeam outside of therake-standard. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the bracing-rodconnected at one end on the bottom end of the post, below thefingerbeam, and extending obliquely in an upward direction to a bracketsituated on the outside of the rake-standard. Fig. 3 shows two rods, oneon each side of the rake-standard, running parallel with the finger-beamand connected'at either end to brackets, one situated near the inner endof the finger-beam and the other outside of the rake-standard.

I have shown my brace applied in three different ways. There are, ofcourse, other ways of attaching the brace for accomplishing the samepurpose; but the plans illustrated will be sufficient to explain theinvention. The important point to be observed in arranging the brace isto see that the inner end of the rod is situated above the finger-beam.

Heretofore it has been customary to brace the finger-beam by a braceextending along its (No model.)

bottom. This brace is not only constantly vin the way, comingin contactwith obstructions on the ground, but it does not effectually support thefinger-beam at the point where it usually sags-viz., at the point wherethe rakestandard is situated.

A is the finger-beam; B, the post for connecting the beam to the mainframe of the machine. O is the brace for staying the post B. D is therakestandard. E is the bar or red forming my brace. F is a bracketsituated outside of the rake-standard and provided with a socket, a,into which the end of the brace fits. G is a bolt passing through thefinger-beam for securing the bracing-rod when arranged as shown inFig. 1. H is a bracket situated on the inside of the finger-beam whenthe brace is to be arranged as shown in Fig. 3. I is a nut screwed uponthe end of the brace E at the point-where it enters the bracket F.

When the bracing-rodE is placed in position the nut I is screwed againstthe bracket F, proor their exact location, except that the end of thebracing-rod near the rake-standard shall be above the fin ger-bcam.

I may also state that while it will be necessary, inorder to secure thefull benefit of my invention, that the outer end of the rod E shall beconnected to the finger-beam at a point outsideof the rake-standard,thesame eifect would, in a measure, be secured by connecting it close tothe rake-standard, even if it did not extend beyond it.

In the foregoing description I have referred to the brace as designed tosupport the weight of the rake-standard. In addition to accomplishingthis object, the same brace may be utilized to strengthen thefinger-beam to resist an upward strain, which object may be effected byextending the end of the rod E through the bracket F and placing uponthe rod, on the outside of the bracket, an additional nut, I, as shownin Fig. 2.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a harvesting-machine, thecombination, with the finger-beam, of a bar or rod connected at one endto the finger-beam, near the post or inner end of the beam, and at itsother in an upward direction to a point above the fingerbeam and nearthe rake standard, at which point it is adjust-ably connected to thefinger-beam, in combination with means, substantially as described, bywhich a pushing strain can be exerted through the rod upon the twopoints connecting it to the finger-beain for the purpose of bracingthelatter at the point where the rake-standard is carried.

3. In a harvesting-machine, in combination with the finger-beam, a baror rod secured above said finger-beam, and means, substantially asdescribed,for exerting a pushing strain on said bar or rod for thepurpose of bracing the finger-beam, substantially as specified.

4. In a harvesting'machine, a bar or rod rigidly attached to the innerend of the fingerbeam, and extending therefrom to a bracket attached tothe finger-beam outside of the rakestandard, in combination with nuts Iand I, screwed upon the rod and arranged to jam against the bracket F,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

DAVID MAXWELL.

Witnesses:

G. W. BALDWIN, H. H. WARREN.

